The Aynhoe Park guide to throwing a glamorous Halloween bash

It’s been dubbed the coolest house in Britain – throwing unforgettable parties including several Halloween Balls – so who better to ask for their tips for throwing an All Hallows Eve-themed shindig than James Perkins and Sophie Taylor, the couple behind Grade I-listed, Georgian mansion Aynhoe Park in Oxfordshire? Here, the host and hostess with the mostess share their tips for putting together the ultimate bash.

Aynhoe Park

Barker Evans

Have a carefully curated theme

A good theatrical, spooky theme makes any Halloween party; fancy dress is always a natural icebreaker but if the staging and dressing is on point too then people tend to really let their hair down and almost get into character! Most of the themed events we host have an immersive element to them. Last year’s Unicef Halloween Ball took the guest on a journey - from talking statues to ancestors past and interactive animals to ‘Murder on the Dance Floor’ with Sophie Ellis Bextor - each element was thought about and carefully curated.

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Alice Temperley, Sophie Taylor, Kelly Eastwood and Olivia Grant

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Think about the size of the guest list – and create intimate spaces for 'break out' conversations

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Guest list numbers depend on the celebration and how personal you want the occasion to be. Twelve is a nice number for an intimate dinner - you should be able to talk to everyone and guests can comfortably peel off into conversations of two or three. If you are planning a larger occasion then the space will usually dictate the number of guests. Consider what it takes to fill key areas without feeling either overcrowded or uncomfortably empty; 120 can still feel sparse in a big space! Creating a few separate areas (like cosy seating spots or drinking corners) each with a different atmosphere, is also a good way to naturally ‘distribute’ guests and retain pockets of dinner-party-intimacy. Whether you’re catering for 12 or 500 setting the stage is just as important - so lighting (candles) and styling should always be considered.

Sophie Taylor and James Perkins

David Benett

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Seat people with mutual interest next to each other at dinner - and only invite who you know

A guest list for 12 or 500 should be made up of people that you know will make your party and that you really want to see there. If it’s a dinner party I like to seat people together that may have common interests but don't know each other yet - we get excited to create new friendships within our friendship circles. Clearly at Aynhoe Park the house can host over 500 people inside, so therefore on occasion if a friend asks if they can bring other friends then if we have the space we say yes, in my experience though you can allow your guests to bring one couple, any more than that will often prevent them from mingling. We would also add, that you shouldn't always invite the same people - it is important to invite new people to parties so the conversations throughout the party are varied.

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Go the extra mile with your décor

[Sophie]: The Devil is in the detail, from tableware topiary to cobweb coverage but fear not, this doesn’t mean you need to redecorate your home completely. You can go a long way with lighting and flowers and the practical touches like getting a fire going or lighting up the garden will all add to the ambience. Make sure you’ve carried any theme through to all guest spaces too - including the bathrooms. As a good starting point, dim the lights right down and fill the place with candles making everything as moody as possible – health and safety permitting, of course…

The Vampire's Wife's table setting

Barker Evans

Last year I created a ‘Vampire's Wife’ tables cape. You can recreate this for a Halloween dinner or ‘treat table’ perhaps. I used a black of night table cloth, blood red roses in cut glass vases on stacked old books and a few creepy props. Table dressing is all about proportions so mix it up with vases, props and candles in varied heights.

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Bowl food is a winner

If you’re planning a larger party you should consider bowl food - served straight from the kitchen or elaborate food stations – and we always insist on a cheese board at midnight. In terms of dishes that have gone down well, truffle honey and a good Époisses de Bourgogne cheese on a charcoal crisp never disappoints or goes uneaten…

Personalised party favours will help your guests remember your party

Sophie: For our own dinner parties and when I am designing dinners for my clients I think a lovely place name/party favour is the perfect guest gift. Not only has it been useful to the table but is completely personalised. For Rolls-Royce I designed bespoke leather wallets made from the leather of the car and embossed with the guest's name, for a winter wonderland themed party last year I used snow-globes and had each person's name within the snow-globe, for Perriet Jouet this year the hand painted biscuit represented the hand painted bottle - and acted as a place name and the pairing for the pudding champagne.

James: I like giving out hangover recovery packs in the rooms for those staying. For Aynhoe Backstage at Wilderness, for example, Sophie will create party 'favour' boxes for each bedroom - these can include survival packs - like waterproof Kway coats, Ren beauty products, chickpea snacks, biscuits, T-shirts, Botanic Lab drinks and more! My favourite table gift has to be when we gave out a glass slipper drinking glass designed by Christian Louboutin x Piper Heidsieck for the ladies and a engraved pocket watch for the men.